The benefits of a gel manicure are enormous and impressive. Almost two weeks of chip-free and glossy nails make most girls throw away their favorite nail polishes. Typing all day long is one of the things I do each day. Hand-washing my dishes and cleaning are another tasks that ruin any beautiful nail art in a matter of several minutes. This is why I opt for gel polish. I love it, but there’s one downside – it’s extremely difficult to remove at home. Since doing researches is my job, and experimenting is my passion, I found 3 ways to remove gel polish without going to the salon.

1. Water and acetone will do the trick

When water and acetone are all you have at home, you can use these ‘ingredients’ to remove your gel polish. It takes some time and effort, yet it’s a safe, cheap and effective way to try. Pour acetone into a small bowl, and warm water into a larger bowl. Create a double-boiler. Let acetone warm for a minute. Meanwhile, buff your nails.

Place your nails in a bowl with acetone and allow gel polish to soak off. Loosen and remove gel polish on every nail using orange wood stick. Typically, it takes 20-30 minutes to get gel polish removed. But don’t keep your nails in acetone for more than 10 minutes. Once you are done, wash your hands and apply a rich moisturizer. Cuticle oil or hand cream is a good option too.

2. Invest in removal kits

Gel polish manicure sounds like a dream come true. Removal kits exist to help you enjoy that dream. Not only will you remove a dull gel polish quickly, you will keep your nails healthy as well. The average price of the kit is $10, depending on the brand and quality. Easy to use and quick to remove.

3. Foil and acetone work perfectly together

Start with buffing your nails. Then, place a cotton ball soaked in the acetone over each of your nails, wrap with foil and leave for 10-12 minutes. If gel polish won’t slide right off with the cotton balls, try to use your orange stick. Just make sure the polish starts to lift. Be as gentle as possible. Your nails may look strong, but it’s possible to wreck even the strongest nails. Once you’ve got the polish off, wash your hands and apply your hand cream or moisturizer.

Once the free edge around your cuticle begins to lift and you have no time to go to the beauty salon, don’t peel it off. Peeling off gel polish significantly damages the natural nail bed and leads to a number of serious problems. Surely, it’s best to go to a salon but any of these methods may come in handy too. Don’t try any of them if you have unhealthy or brittle nails. How often do you wear gel polish? Do you remove it at home?